The Court's Game
by Ezebial
Summary: When a team of new acolytes are sent on a mission to locate a missing rogue trader and retrieve the warrant of trade, things begin to fall into chaos very quickly.


It was a simple office, full of simple things, and yet no one there saw it as such. Despite an ordinary appearance all who gathered together knew better. They were in the dwellings of an Inquisitor. Five acolytes and one interrogator stood idly as they waited in silence. All but the interrogator were new and still unsure of their fates; and fate would prove to be most unkind.

Interrogator Atellus examined the five before him with heavy scrutiny. When he was recruited into the inquisition he saw many of his fellows fall at the end of a cultists laspistol, and far too often worse. They would be no different he wagered. He let out a soft sigh, breaking the silence. The air seemed to come alive as he began to walk about the room. "Knowing Inquisitor Brogan, you won't be meeting today, else, they'd have shown by now."

One of the five, a man with raven hair, spoke up, "Wait, we were given explicit instructions to wait here for Inquisitor Brogan to arrive and brief us on what we are needed to do." He was met with a cold look that chilled his soul. Not even his commissar back with the Drovan Storm Fleet had a look that frightening.

Atellus quickly rounded on the man and grabbed him by the collar shoving him against a wall. "You want to stand around for someone that may or may not come? Hmm? We were instructed to wait, oh yes, but if Inquisitor Brogan does not show then we must continue without them. I am here for that purpose. It has been over an hour since the given time. We must assume we are not to receive the information from the inquisitor." He let go of the man. What kind of foolish question was that? Did he not understand the urgency this must mean? Something happened to the Inquisitor.

What was wrong with the man? The guardsman looked down at the interrogator's hand to see it twitch in rage. Looking up at the man's face he looked into two green pits of emptiness. He swallowed a knot in his throat and instinctively came to attention. He was then asked a question. "What is your name, meat shield?"

"P-p-private Cruz Sir!" the raven haired man gave his answer, and Atellus sneered. He felt as though he were in the jaws of death.

"Remind me, why you are here?"

"In transit our vessel was assailed by a greenskin hoard. I… I killed their warboss and the infighting caused the whole force to fall into disarray. We won the entire campaign due to their infighting." It should have been something to be proud of, and it earned him the attention of the inquisition. In truth, he was just another terrified guardsman whose lasercarbine happened to shoot when he did not pull the trigger. The God Emperor himself had made that shot, of that he was certain, and so too was Inquisitor Brogan.

The interrogator gave a short and cynical laugh. "You're on my list as the first to die." He said no more to Cruz, and looked to the other four. He would learn of them soon enough. For now it was time to get down to business. Retrieving a dataslate from the wooden desk he began to read their orders aloud.

 _'Good Afternoon Acolytes, if Interrogator Atellus is reading this, then I did not make it in time for the briefing. Time is short and the hour grows late, thus I will not fill this with unnecessary drivel. Recent reports have reached my ears of a rogue trader's vessel having simply vanished in the Storith system. You are to investigate the last known coordinates and learn the truth. Bring back the warrant of trade, beyond that, retrieval of the trader Olaf is of secondary concern. Atellus shall lead this investigation.'_

"That's it," Atellus concluded. He watched the five exchange concerned looks of confusion causing himself to simply groan. "We have more to go on than usual, so this should be a simple investigation. Assuming they weren't sucked into the warp, we ought to be done rather quickly."

Cruz looked skeptical. Was that his idea of encouragement? So they would be following this man into an investigation to a ship. It would be just like home with the Storm Fleet except more nefarious.

"Now, we will head out as soon as I set things in order for our transport. First, I want all of your names. We have: Meat Shield, and you four quiet ones. What are you good for?" Atellus crossed his arms with a face of stone. "Come on, speak up, one of you! The universe does not have all day for this! Worlds die as we speak!"

With prompting the first to name themselves was an older woman with short red hair. "I am Esmeralda. I worked in the underhives more, unsavory markets, shall we say." She offered a wry smile and pulled the fur of her collar higher to let it brush her cheeks.

"Alright, Queenpin it is. Next."

An augmented voice came like a muffled scratch that was difficult to understand. "I was an explorator. Ark Tyrantosssss at your ssssservicccce." All that looked upon him could make out little of the man inside. His augmentics were too numerous. If this Ark possessed flesh it was hidden like a well-guarded secret.

Cruz felt sick at the sight of him. There were eternally moving parts about him and it was beyond unnatural. Unnerving was more accurate he thought. Instinctively he touched his own left arm. Below the armor was a limb of metal. Never could he imagine his entire body being like it.

These three did not impress Atellus. The tech-priest would at least be useful. The next man was a very large man. His towering frame shadowed the others. "I am Orland. I was an arbite on Lovatia back when the secession occurred. I joined the fighting when the faithful rose and fought back."

"I heard about that. A real mess. Too bad about the exterminatus though." Atellus chuckled. "I hear they were on the verge of victory."

Orland said nothing in response, rather standing there a stoic sentinel. Cruz wondered how he could remain so calm. This interrogator mocked all of them and found humor in such cruelty. Death to an entire planet; he gritted his teeth.

The final figure did not speak. She merely stared back at the interrogator unflinchingly, and he stared back. The two glared in silence for several minutes in a quiet battle of wills. In the end, the woman won.

"This is Flair. She is a member of the Sororitas. Though, she is tasked out to our service for further training, she is to be shown the proper respect. I'm looking at you Meat Shield!" Atellus glared at the guardsman.

Why did he hate him so much? Cruz looked at the others, who remained silent still. He watched Atellus leave them and he soon allowed himself to relax, but only a little. "Well, this should be fun?"


End file.
